The invention relates to a system for personal body care, comprising
a holder which holds a fluid,
a pump for pumping the fluid, and
an appliance for personal body care, comprising a treatment device for carrying out a body-care treatment under the influence of the fluid.
The invention further relates to an assembly of a holder for holding a fluid and such a pump.
The invention also relates to an appliance for personal body care, comprising a treatment device for carrying out a body-care treatment under the influence of a fluid, which appliance has a space for accommodating a holder and a pump for pumping the fluid from the holder to an outlet opening of the appliance.
Such a system and such an appliance are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,952. The known appliance is a shaver having a holder with a shaving liquid and a pump for pumping the shaving liquid from the holder to a discharge opening of the shaver. The known system comprises a shaver and a cartridge. The cartridge comprises a rigid holder holding a shaving liquid and a pump. By pressing on the holder the shaving liquid can be pumped to an outlet opening near a shaving head of the shaver. By replacing the cartridge the system is provided with a new load of shaving liquid and a new pump. A drawback of the known system is that the holder is comparatively large in relation to the appliance, so that the holder adversely affects the ergonomics of the system.
It is an object of the invention to provide a system of the type defined in the opening paragraph, which is more attractive for a consumer than the known system. To this end the system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that
the holder comprises a flexible wall, and
the pump is detachable from the holder and is detachable from the appliance. This combination of measures makes it possible to adapt the dimensions of the holder to an ergonomic shape of the appliance. This will be explained hereinafter.
By making the pump detachable from the holder an empty holder can be replaced by a full holder without the pump having to be replaced. As a result of this, the replacement of a holder becomes substantially cheaper and the dimensions of the holder can be smaller with the same consumption costs as the known system.
Since the holder has a flexible wall and the size of the holder is comparatively small in relation to the appliance the holder can be accommodated more easily in an appliance having an ergonomic shape.
Since the pump is also detachable from the appliance the pump can still be replaced at regular intervals. As a pump is difficult to clean regular replacement is a good method of guaranteeing the hygiene of the system. By selling holders in a package including, for example, five holders and one pump the user can replace the pump at a rate which is five times as low as the rate of replacement of the holders. Thus, the pump is yet replaced at regular intervals without the cost of replacing a pump each time that an empty holder is replaced by a full holder.
The measures in accordance with the invention make it possible to market a personal care system which appeals to the customer owing to the low cost, great hygiene and ease of handling.
An embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention has the characteristic features wherein the pump comprises a suction tube for taking in the fluid, the holder comprises a coupling member having a tubular outlet channel, and the pump and the holder can be coupled by sliding the suction tube into the outlet channel. Owing to these measures the system can readily be assembled by sliding the suction tube into the outlet channel and coupling the holder to the appliance. As a result of this, the user friendliness of the system is further improved.
Another embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention has the characteristic features wherein the appliance has a space for accommodating the pump and the holder, the space is provided with positioning means for positioning the coupling member of the holder, and the pump is retained in the space by means of the coupling member of the holder. Owing to these measures the pump is no longer in its fixed condition when the holder is detached from the appliance. As a result of this, the pump is easy to replace. Preferably, the system is then constructed in such a manner that the pump is detached together with the holder when the latter is detached from the appliance, for example by means of a detachable snap coupling between the pump and the holder. In that case the pump is removed from the space when the holder is detached from the appliance, so that the users can readily take hold of the pump in order to replace it or in order to couple it to another holder.
An embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the flexible wall comprises a layer of aluminum having a thickness of between 6 and 12 micrometers. Owing to this measure the wall of the holder is flexible enough to adapt to a decreasing content of the holder without the pressure in the holder differing significantly from the pressure in the environment of the holder. At the same time the holder is rigid enough to withstand some force so that the holder can readily be coupled to the pump and a pump-and-holder assembly can readily be slid into an appliance without fluid being expelled from the holder, neither directly nor via the pump.
An embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the treatment device is adapted to shave off hairs. The invention is particularly advantageous in such a system because such a system should be easy to handle.
An embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the treatment device comprises a stationary cutter. Such a shaving system is intended for use in combination with a fluid, for which the appliance should be moved over the skin in strokes. By means of the measures in accordance with the invention it is achieved that the system is light in weight and convenient to manipulate so that the appliance can be moved smoothly over the skin.
An embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the treatment device comprises a movable shaving member and a drive mechanism for driving the shaving member. Owing to the measures in accordance with the invention it is possible to accommodate a holder with a fluid in the appliance as well as to accommodate the drive mechanism in the appliance without the ease of handling of the system being impaired.
An embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the treatment device is adapted to depilate. Owing to the measures in accordance with the invention it is readily possible to accommodate a holder with a fluid in the appliance as well as to accommodate a treatment device for depilation in the appliance without the ease of handling of the system being impaired.
An embodiment of the appliance in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the treatment device is adapted to massage a human body. Owing to the measures in accordance with the invention it is readily possible to accommodate a holder with a fluid in the appliance as well as to accommodate a treatment device for body massage in the appliance without the ease of handling of the system being impaired.
The appliance in accordance with the invention is characterized in that
the appliance comprises a rigid wall portion which is movable with respect to the appliance from a first position to a second position,
in which first position the space is accessible to mount and/or remove the holder and the pump, and
in which second position the holder and the pump are retained in the space.
Owing to these measures a holder with a flexible wall can readily be replaced without the pressure being exerted on the flexible wall by the user. This substantially reduces the likelihood of fluid leaking from the holder during replacement.
An embodiment of the appliance in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the wall portion comprises positioning means for positioning the holder. As a result of this, the wall portion can serve as a handle for holding the holder during mounting or removal of the pump. Subsequently, the wall portion with holder and pump can be moved to the second position, the holder being blocked in the positioning means and the pump being retained via the holder.
An embodiment of the appliance in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the wall portion is convex. A convex wall portion is convenient to hold and provides room to accommodate the holder at its inner side.